A Time of Healing
by SkyGem
Summary: A sequel to Duchess Will.Hell.Minna.'s fic "Surviving the Struggle." Three-shot. Ryoga pov. Please r&r.
1. A Time of Healing

SkyGem: Hey y'all! Okay, so earlier, I was reading a fic called "Surviving the Struggle" by Will(dot)Hell(dot)Minna(dot) (sorry, that's the only way her whole username will show, replace dot with .), and it was sooooo sad! But it gave me a wonderful idea. So, with the author's permission, I have written this (sort-of) sequel. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought, ne?

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or Surviving the Struggle, but I do own this fanfic.

P.S. I strongly suggest you read Will(dot)Hell(dot)Minna(dot)'s fic before this one.

* * *

><p>"Otou-san! Otou-san! Look what I can do!" shouted my five year old son, hitting a tennis ball repeatedly against the brick wall of our house.<p>

I smiled at him, feeling my heart break a little. I loved him to death, but his sparkling amber eyes and green-tinted black hair, not to mention his unrivalled love of tennis, all reminded me vividly of his namesake.

"That's wonderful, Ryou! You'll be invited to the US Open before you know it!" I shouted, and I felt my voice shake a little.

Seeming to notice my distress, he stopped playing and walked over to me.

"Tou-san?" he asked, looked up at me with wide, serious eyes. "Daijobu?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile.

Shaking his head, he said, "No, you're not alright. Are you homesick?"

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that. We had only just moved to Japan the day before, and I could tell that my son missed America already.

Nodding slightly, I said, "Yes, I'm homesick."

Patting my cheek lightly, he said, "It's okay, otou-san. We'll go there again someday."

"Of course," I said, feeling a little better. Then I kissed him lightly on the head and said, "Anyways, let's go inside now, ne? It's getting a little late, and you don't want to be tired tomorrow when you meet grandma and grandpa, do you?"

"Hai!" he said, skipping inside.

Dinner was a quiet affair, as Ryou seemed too tired from jetlag to talk as much as he usually did, and Mitsuki, my wife, seemed to notice that something was wrong and was just giving me space.

Later that night, after Ryou had been tucked in, Mitsuki and I were lying in bed when she snuggled closer to me.

Without looking up, she said, "Are you thinking about him again?"

I nodded before remembering that she couldn't see me. "Yeah," I said quietly.

"He really does look like him, doesn't he?" she asked in a small voice.

I was quiet for a moment. "Yes," I said again. "He's almost exactly like him."

"I wish I could have met him," she said sadly. "The way you talk about him, he seems like he was a wonderful guy."

"He was," I said and felt my voice crack.

Then, I turned my face away, feeling a single tear slip down my face. After that, we didn't talk anymore and slowly, I drifted to sleep.

_I open my eyes to find myself inside a hospital._

_Feeling a bone-crushing grip on my hand, I look down and see my wife clutching it so tightly, her knuckles are white._

_I look up at her sweat-matted face, twisted in pain, and realize where –or rather __**when- **__I am._

"_It's okay, honey, you can do it!" I say, trying to comfort her._

_Suddenly, there's a blood-curdling scream and I feel as if my hand is going to break._

_Then, the scream dies down and is replaced by the wailing of an infant. The pressure on my hand lightens as my wife breathes heavily, and I hear the doctor say, "It's a boy!"_

_Although I know vaguely what to expect, I'm still shocked breathless when I see my son. His face is round and sweet and his cheeks soft. His eyes are closed tight but they have a kind of feline shape to them and he has soft tufts of greenish-black hair._

_I feel as if I'm going to cry._

_When the doctor asks for his name, I reply without thinking. "Ryoma. Echizen Ryoma."_

_My wife, who knows about what happened to my otouto all those years ago, doesn't protest. Instead, she smiles tiredly, holding her arms out for her baby._

_As the doctor leaves to get the legal documents, I go over to Mitsuki and we both look down at our little bundle of joy._

"_Isn't he just beautiful?" she asks, her voice soft. Then, to the baby, she coos, "I bet you'll grow up into a wonderful tennis player, just like your father. Won't you, Ryoma?"_

_At this, our son opens his eyes for the first time, and I gasp. They're bright amber, completely unlike the grays and blues that newborns usually have for their first few weeks of life. When I look at them, I feel like I'm seeing my little brother again, and it hurts._

_I almost break down right there, and when the nurse comes to take him to the nursery, I almost don't want to let go, but I know I have to._

_When he's gone, Mitsuki looks up at me and she smiles proudly._

"_He looks just like you."_

_I shake my head. "He looks more like his uncle…"_

* * *

><p>When I woke up the next morning, there were tears in my eyes.<p>

Mitsuki had awoken earlier than me, so I was alone in bed, and for that, I was a bit grateful.

After composing myself and washing up in the bathroom, I headed downstairs for some breakfast.

"Good morning," I said when I entered the kitchen, kissing my wife on the cheek. "What's for breakfast?"

"Blueberry pancakes," she said, smiling.

"Yum," I said, licking my lips. "I love western food."

Giggling, she said, "That's great. Can you go tell Ryou that breakfast is ready? He's in the living room."

"Hai," I said nonchalantly and went to find my mischievous son.

When I found him, he was sitting in the middle of the living room floor, flipping through what looked to be a book.

"What're you looking at?" I asked, kneeling beside him.

Smiling up at me, he said, "Ohayou, otou-san. I found a photo album!"

"Really?" I said interestedly.

"Hai!" he said. Then, seeming to remember something, he turned to the very beginning of the album and pointed to a picture of two laughing teens. "Otou-san, who are they?" he asked.

My breath caught when I saw the picture. I remembered it vividly, as it had been taken only a month or so before my brother had passed away.

Trying to steady my voice, I pointed to the older boy, who seemed to be about 17, and said, "This one is me."

His eyes widened and his mouth formed a cute little 'o'.

"Otou-san looks so cool!" he said. "But who's the one beside otou-san?"

I stared at the one he was talking about, a young boy that looked to be about 12. "That's my otouto," I said in a voice that just barely escaped shaking. In the picture, he had on one of those rare, genuine smiles that you would almost never see, let alone get on camera.

When he looked up at me and our eyes met, I could tell that Ryou had noticed my distress.

With serious eyes, he asked, "What happened to him?"

"He died when he was twelve," I said.

"How?" asked my son, seeming curious.

I shrugged. "Nobody knows. He was perfectly healthy, but then, he went to sleep one night, and never woke up again."

Getting up, he put a hand on my cheek just like the day before. "Is this why you were sad yesterday?" he asked innocently.

Sometimes, his perceptiveness really surprised me, in some ways, he was almost exactly like Ryoma.

I nodded. "He was a great tennis player, you know. Have you ever heard of the famous tennis player that everyone called the Prince of Tennis?"

He nodded.

"That was him. Everyone had high hopes for him. We all believed that he would one day be at the top of the tennis world."

Ryou's eyes were now trained intently on the image of his namesake, he seemed awed.

"What was oji-san's name?" he asked.

I smiled at this. "His name was Ryoma."

Suddenly, my son's eyes flew up to my face.

"Nani?" he asked. "He had the same name as me?"

I nodded. "Because you were named after him, he's now your guardian angel. He'll always be watching you, so you better make him proud."

He was quiet for a moment, as if digesting this new information.

Then, he looked up at me and smiled brightly. "One day, I will become the best tennis player in the world! I will become the next Prince of Tennis and make Ryoma-ji-san proud of me!"

When he said this, for a second, I thought I saw strong, leanly muscled arms gently enveloping him in a hug, and just over his left shoulder, I saw a beloved face smiling brightly at me.

The next second, though, the face was gone, and I thought I might have imagined it, but still, the image had brought me great comfort. Even though he was no longer alive, Ryoma hadn't truly left us.

"Anyways, okaa-san made pancakes for breakfast. Let's go before they get cold, ne?" I said, smiling slightly.

"Yay!" he shouted, dashing for the kitchen.

I let out a chuckle, then followed after him.

When I got to the doorway of our kitchen, I saw Mitsuki pick a white feather out of Ryou's hair and look at it curiously. "Now where could this have come from?"

Ryou didn't look at all surprised; he just threw me a knowing smile.

"It's a sign from my guardian angel, he's saying that he'll always be there with me!"

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><p>SkyGem: So, what did you think? Is it good? The ending is based a slightly on a drabble I wrote a little while ago called Wings. It's very short, so please take some time to read it, ne? Anyways, please do leave a review and do tell me what you thought.<p>

P.S. I'm debating on whether or not to turn this into a two-shot or a three-shot. What do you guys think?


	2. Guardian Angel

**Momo**

"Daddy!" a high-pitched voice screamed from behind me and, seconds later, my six year old daughter had jumped into my lap and given me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey sweetheart. How was your day?" I asked, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"It was great!" she said enthusiastically. "And daddy! You'll never guess what!"

"What?" I asked interestedly.

"Today, we had a transfer student from America, and he's really, really nice!" she said, grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Really?" I said.

"Yeah! And, he plays tennis too!"

"That's wonderful," I said. "So, what's his name?"

"Echizen Ryoma-kun!" she said, looking really excited.

"Nani?" I asked, thinking I had heard wrong.

"His name is Echizen Ryoma! But he likes to be called Ryou-kun. He has really pretty black hair and golden eyes. And he's really nice!"

"I see…" I said quietly. "And he's your new friend?" I asked.

"Hai!" she said, bobbing her head up and down.

"Then why don't you invite him and his tou-san and kaa-san over for dinner?"

"Really?" she asked and I nodded. "Kyaa! Arigatou, otou-san! I can't wait!" And with that, she gave me a hug and jumped up, rushing into the kitchen to repeat everything to her mother.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Ryou<span>**

"Tadaima!" I called as I walked into the living room.

At the sound of my voice, he looked up from the television and smiled at me. "Hey, Ryou," he said. "Did you have a good day at school? Are you fitting in alright?"

Sighing, I said, "Tou-san, you asked me the same thing yesterday, and I said that it was fine."

"Just making sure," he said, a small smile on his face.

Going up to him, I kissed him on the cheek, then handed him the piece of paper that Malaya-chan had given to me.

"What's this?" asked my father curiously.

"Malaya-chan said that her parents told her to give it to me. They wanted to invite us over."

As he read the note over, I saw his expression change from curious to pained. Looking up at me, he asked, "Malaya-chan's family name is Momoshiro?"

I nodded, wondering what had upset him so much.

He smiled brightly, though I could tell that it was forced, and said, "Then why don't you go upstairs and change? We'll leave right away!"

I immediately forgot my worries and said excitedly, "Hai!"

* * *

><p>About half an hour later, I was with my parents, holding my mothers hand as we waited for someone to answer the door.<p>

I was really excited, so I kept fidgeting, but my father just stood still, a weird expression on his face.

The person who finally answered the door was a pretty Chinese lady wearing a long blue cheongsam.

"Ah, you must be the Echizen family," she said in slightly accented Japanese. "It's nice to meet you. Please, come in."

As the adults talked, I looked around, searching for my friend.

"Ryou-chan!"

Looking towards the sound of the voice, I saw Malaya-chan coming towards me, wearing a dress similar to her mother's, except hers was a light green. Her shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back in two pigtails, the naturally blonde streaks in it just barely showing.

After her followed a man who I guessed was her tou-san. He looked even younger than my tou-san, and had short, spiky black hair, and purple-ish eyes.

As soon as he saw me, an expression came onto his face that I had seen before a few times on my father's face and on uncle Kevin's.

Coming up to me, he bent down and smiled, ruffling my hair playfully. "So you're Ryoma-kun?"

"Ryou," I corrected him. My parents almost never called me Ryoma (only my mother, when she was really made at me), and I had always wondered why, since it was my real name. After what had happened a few days ago, I finally understood.

"Right, Ryou," he said, smiling.

Looking at him calculatingly, I said bluntly, "Were you one of my ji-san's friends?"

"Ji-san?" he asked and I nodded.

"Echizen Ryoma. He was my otou-san's otouto. That's why everyone calls me Ryou. Because to them, Ryoma is oji-san, not me."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Momo<span>**

I stared at the little boy in front of me. Despite his age, he had come to such a mature conclusion, and I was almost certain it was the right one, too.

It was uncanny how similar her was to Ryoma. He looked a lot like him, and even though he was less arrogant, he had a certain confidence that was identical to that of his namesake.

At that moment, my wife Jiao came in with Ryou's parents and I straightened up.

"Ryoga-san," I said, holding my hand out. "I had a feeling Ryou was your son. Long time no see. When was the last time we talked to each other?"

Grasping my hand, he shook it firmly and let go. "The funeral, if I'm not mistaken," he said, smiling politely. "Thank you so much for inviting us over."

Even though Ryoma and I had been so close, I hadn't really talked to his brother before, and I wasn't really sure what to say. The women, though, had really hit it off and were already talking and laughing as if they were long-lost friends.

I glanced over at them, then threw Ryoga a smile. "Looks like we could learn a little something from our wives, ne?"

Ryoga just laughed in response, and after that, things were more relaxed. The two children went upstairs to play and Ryoga and I talked a little as his wife, Mitsuki, offered to help Jiao put the finishing touches on dinner and help se the table.

"It's amazing how much he's like his uncle," I said.

Ryoga was quiet for a few moments, then smiled slightly. "It is. Sometimes I feel like, instead of my son, I'm seeing my brother again."

I thought back to when I had been talking to Ryou and a distant smile came onto my face. "I know the feeling." We were both quiet for a few minutes, then I said, "So, has he inherited his tennis skills, too?"

Ryoga laughed, and the mood brightened somehow. "Every bit of them. That boy is going to stand at the top of the tennis world someday. Just you wait."

"I can believe it," I said, and we both lapsed back into silence again.

Not seconds later, both Ryou and Malaya came bounding down the stairs in a hurry.

"Okaa-san, is it time to eat yet?" they asked in unison.

I let out a small chuckle. Something about the scene reminded me greatly of Ryoma and myself back in junior high. Those two were going to be the best of friends, there was no doubt about that.

* * *

><p>Later that night, after the Echizen family had left, Jiao and I were both in bed, but, for some odd reason, I couldn't fall asleep. My mind was stuck in the past.<p>

_Flashback_

_As I walked through the door of my house, I didn't even bother to say the traditional "tadaima," instead recalling how different my mood had been this morning as I had walked out the same door._

_Before this morning, I hadn't known that, in a matter of seconds, your whole life could be turned upside down. I hadn't known that, no matter how happy you are, that happiness can be taken away from you within seconds._

_Bristling, I headed up the stairs, to my bedroom._

_The moment I stepped through the door, I slammed it closed, letting out a scream of frustration, then crumpling to the floor in an exhausted heap._

_Cradling my head in my arms, I let the tears slip down my face, feeling as if they would never stop._

"_Takeshi?" I heard a voice say and looked up to see my mother standing in the doorway._

_I ran my hand through my hair in a nervous gesture, not even attempting to stop the flow of tears. "Why?" I asked, looking at the floor._

_Startled and more than a little worried, my mother came up to me, wrapping her arms around my shaking body. "What's wrong, Takeshi? What happened?" she asked._

_Not bothering to answer her questions, I repeated, "Why?"_

"_Why what?" she asked, and this time, I looked up at her._

"_Why? Why would he just leave without telling me? I thought we were friends, goddammit!" I shouted._

"_Who?" asked my mother frantically. "Who are you talking about Takeshi?"_

"_Echizen, of course!" I shouted, looking at her with defying eyes. "I went to pick him up this morning, only to have his old man tell me that he died in his sleep!"_

_Hearing this, my mother seemed to go into shock, and I just turned my face away, my eyes feeling sore and my throat raw, but I still couldn't stop crying._

_Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I looked back at my mom, and leaned in closer to her, looking for comfort._

"_We were supposed to go to high school together! He was going to climb to the top of the tennis world! And now he can't…" I trailed off, suddenly losing all my energy._

"_I know, honey, I know."_

"_He was so young…" I tried once more, and my mother hugged me tighter in response. "Why, Ryoma? Why did you have to leave behind so many broken hearts?"_

_End Flashback_

Tasting salt on my lips, I realized that I was crying, and wiped my tears away.

Pushing the painful thoughts out of mind, I buried my head in my pillow, screwing my eyes shut and trying to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>The day after the Echizens came over, I was waiting for my daughter outside the school when I saw her come out with Ryou.<p>

When she saw me, she ran over, throwing herself in my arms. "Daddy!" she shouted.

"Hey pumpkin," I said, planting a kiss on her cheek. Then, looking down at Ryou, I smiled. "I hope you had fun yesterday. Remember, you're welcome in our house any time, so make sure you come over often, okay?"

"Hai," he said, bobbing his head up and down with a wide smile stretching across his face.

I ruffled his hair once playfully then turned and left with my daughter.

As I was walking away with Malaya, though, I suddenly felt a slight pressure on my legs and looked down to see a familiar Himalayan look up at me, then turn and run.

Turning, I followed it with my eyes as it jumped into the awaiting arms of a familiar twelve year old with shocking amber eyes, and green-tinted black hair.

When my eyes met his, he smirked arrogantly and tilted his head back a little, the expression on his face making it look as if he was silently mocking me.

When I blinked, he had disappeared, and in his place stood six year old Ryou, looking at me curiously.

I blinked once more, disbelievingly, then smiled down at him.

"That's one fine guardian angel you've got yourself."

* * *

><p>SkyGem: Okay, seriously, I was, like, crying non-stop while writing the flashback. I'm not trying to say that my writing is that good or anything, just that I'm an extremely emotional person XD. But this really was a depressing chapter…..Anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you thought, ne? And look forward to the next chapter, which will probably be the last.<p>

P.S. Disclaimer: Malaya-chan doesn't belong to me. She's an OC of the author MintLeafeon.


	3. Sayonara

SkyGem: Well, it's the last chapter for this fic. I don't usually put author's notes up here 'cause I know y'all don't read it anyways, but I have strangely become really attached to this fic…and…yeah…that's pretty much all I have to say. On to the chapter~

* * *

><p><strong><span>Ryou<span>**

"_Excuse me, my name is Echizen Ryoma, and I want to join the tennis club," I said, standing in the door of the clubroom._

_Immediately, the coach swivelled around in her chair and looked at me with piercing eyes. She looked to be really old, in her eighties or nineties, and I wondered why she hadn't retired yet. But even though she looked so old, there was a spark in her eyes that said she still had lots of energy left._

_Coming up to me, she studied me carefully from every angle. Then, a smile came onto her face and she said, "Echizen Ryoma, eh? You have certainly inherited the green hair and golden eyes of the Echizens, but have you inherited the talent as well? You certainly don't seem like an athlete._

_I felt a blush rise in my cheeks. With my pale skin and feminine features, many people had doubted before whether I was fit to be an athlete, I had always wiped away those doubts with my skills on the courts._

"_You wanna try me?" I asked cheekily._

_For a second, I thought she would be upset, but then a smile broke onto her face and she said, "Looks like you've got the boundless confidence of the Echizens too. But don't get too cheeky, brat. I've been coaching here since your grandfather was a student. Learn to show some respect." Then, to herself, she said, "Not that my saying anything will help."_

_I barely noticed this last comment, because her previous sentence had all but taken over my mind. "You coached grandpa Nanjiro?"_

_She smirked when she heard this. "Of course. And not only your grandfather, but your uncle, too."_

"_My uncle?" I asked, feeling excited. "You mean, Ryoma-ji-san went to Seigaku?"_

_She nodded. "He was the first ever freshman to get onto the varsity team."_

_I stared at her in awe. "Really?" I asked. This was the first thing I'd ever really learned about my uncle aside from the fact that he was a cocky, arrogant brat (grandpa's words) and that his skills in tennis were prodigal._

"_Hai," she said, smiling sadly. "Because of that boy, Seigaku won the nationals, you know?" Then, she picked up a picture from her desk and handed it to me._

_It was a picture of nine young men that I knew very well, all wearing the Seigaku regulars' jersey. Over the years that I had lived in Japan, I had come to know all the jii-sans that had been on the same team as my uncle, and they had all reacted in ways similar to Momoshiro-jii-san. At first, things had been awkward, but over time, I had come to think of them all as family._

_As I stared at the picture, my eye was inevitably drawn to the youngest member, Ryoma. He was standing in the middle with his sempai-tachi scattered around him, and his Himalayan in his arms. There were hardly any pictures of him without his beloved Karupin. Even though it was only a picture, and even though it was so old, I could just feel the happiness emanating from the young men in the picture, the trust and respect they all held for each other. They were so different now than they had been. _

_Sure, all the ojii-sans still got together every once in a while, they smiled and laughed and I could tell they were happy, but every time I saw them together, I couldn't help but feel like something was missing…or someone._

"Ryoma-kun! Wake up!" a voice suddenly penetrated my dreams, followed by someone shaking me by the shoulder.

Groggily opening my eyes, I looked up into the face of my childhood friend Momoshiro Malaya-chan.

Grumbling, I said, "How many times have I told you not to call me that?"

"Hai, hai, gomen, Ryou-chan. But anyways, you shouldn't be sleeping in class! The sensei will be here soon!"

"Hai," I said lazily, sitting up and running a hand through my hair, putting yesterday's events out of my mind. Ever since we had moved here when I was five, scenes like yesterday were quite common. At one point, even Atobe Keigo-san, the president of Atobe co. whom I had accidentally bumped into had asked me about my relation to "the brat," as he called my uncle.

"Geez, why are you always so tired lately?" asked my friend Kaido Kyouichi.

Sighing, I said, "Grandfather has been training me like hell these past few days. They're expecting me to receive an invitation to the US open this year, and I'll be in huge trouble if I get disqualified too early.

"Eeh, that must be hard, having all those expectations of you just because your dad and uncle and grandfather were so famous in the tennis world," said Kikumaru Mariko, coming up to us. Truth be told, I often got frustrated when people really only saw me as just another generation of the famous Echizen family, but it also gave me a sense of pride. My family was practically tennis royalty, and I was determined not to disappoint all the people who had placed their hopes in me.

My introduction to the tennis world had been an awesome thing. I'd never forget the feeling when I won my first national tournament at the age of 7, or the hilarious reactions of the reporters afterwards when they found out I was from the famous Echizen family. Ever since that time, I was always the center of attention at tournaments and even though I didn't always place first, at the end of the day, I was always grateful that I had been born into a family where I had discovered my passion so early in life.

At that moment, another friend of ours, Fuji Shuichi came up, saying, "Saa, did you guys see the special that was on last night on the sports channel?" Sometimes, it really scared me how much he looked like his father, with his silky brown hair, and that same content smile that was always on his face, even his way of speaking was the same!...Not that I was one to talk.

"Iie," said Mariko-chan. "What was it about?"

"The E-chi-zens," he said in a singsong voice, pronouncing each syllable separately.

Feeling a blush rise in my cheeks, I cast my eyes to the floor. I'd been on television many times before, and the same with interviews, and I guess you could say I'd kind of gotten used to it, but I still got embarrassed every time someone brought it up, and Shuichi most definitely knew about it, the damn sadist.

Putting my head back down, I said, "I'm going back to sleep!"

There was a chuckle from Kyouichi and an exasperated sigh from Malaya-chan, then they moved on to other topics…

_When I next opened my eyes, I found myself on a tennis court I didn't recognise. It was a normal grass court with about a meter border and a chain link fence as the boundary._

_Beyond the fence, there was nothingness. Before I could afford to think deeper into this anomaly, a tennis ball whizzed past me and a voice around my age said from the other side of the court, "Fifteen love."_

_As I turned to look at my opponent, I noticed that he was wearing a pair of black shorts and a white t-shirt with red sleeves. On his head was a white fila cap with an 'R' on it, and seeing as our light source seemed to be somewhere above us, the visor threw the upper half of his face into shadow. The only thing I could see of his face was his mouth pulled up into a self-confident smirk as he got ready to serve._

_As I instinctively got into position to return, I noticed for the first time that I held a tennis racquet in my hand._

_Even though I was prepared for the serve this time, the result was the same. The ball shot past me before I could react and my opponent said calmly, "Thirty love."_

_The rest of the game went same, and as I struggled to try and keep up with my opponent, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into despair._

_Before long, there was a call of, "Game, set, and match. Six games to love."_

_More exhausted than I had ever been in my life, I collapsed to the ground, feeling all my energy suddenly leave my body. It wasn't the first time I had lost, but it __**was**__ the first time I hadn't ever managed to get a single point. Even when I placed against my dad, I always got a few points here and there, and occasionally even a game. This person was a monster…_

_As I lay, sprawled on the floor, I heard the sound of footsteps headed my way, muted slightly by the grass on which he walked._

"_Mada mada dane," came the cold voice, and I opened my now closed eyes to see feline shaped amber ones staring back at me. "You've been getting too arrogant lately, chibi. Remember, no matter how good you are, there's always someone better. Don't let your arrogance be your downfall at the US Open." It felt odd to be called chibi by someone (who looked) the same age the same age as me…_

_Without another word, he stalked off, heading toward a door on the other side of the court that led into the nothingness._

"_W-wait!" I said, sitting up. "Where are you going? Please don't leave me!" I shouted._

_Feeling something lick my hand, I looked down to see a pretty Himalayan cat there. She looked up at me with reassuring eyes, then turned and bounded up to her master._

_Holding his arms out at just the right moment, he caught her, then looked back at me._

"_It's time for me to move on. I've stayed here too long already. I've got to go ahead and wait for kaa-san and oyaji up above."_

_I couldn't find anything to say to this and just cast my eyes to the floor, disappointed._

_I could somehow feel him smile as he said, "Don't worry, kid. I've watched you since the day you were born. You'll stand at the top one day, and until that day comes, you've got to train like hell to make it possible. The next time we meet, you better put up a better fight or, I swear, I __**will**__ disown you."_

_I chuckled at that. "How can you disown me?"_

"_Oh, I can," he said with a smirk. Having arrived at the edge of the filed, he stepped into the darkness, but not before throwing me one last smile, and saying, "Sayonara, oi-kun*. Make me proud."_

_As his voice faded away, there was no evidence left of the boy that had been here with me just moments ago, I was alone…then, the next thing I knew,_ I was snapped out of my dream by the shrill sound of the bell, signalling that class was over.

I didn't raise my head out of my arms for several moments after I had awoken, not wanting anyone to see the single tear that ran down my face.

Even though I had long outgrown the notion of having a guardian angel, I had always felt somehow close to my deceased uncle. Now, I felt a kind of dull loneliness, and I felt an unpleasant breeze at my back, as if something (or someone) whose presence I was used to had disappeared…

* * *

><p><em><span>7 Years Later, 3<span>__rd__ Person POV_

" Hi! My name is Mashiro Mayumi and I'm here with young Echizen Ryoma, who only just yesterday became the youngest person ever to win the Wimbledon Men's Singles title! Tell me, Echizen-san, how do you feel right now?"

The young man in question just smirked confidently and said, "Tired. Even though the matches finished yesterday, all the opponents were tough, and I gotta say, there were times when even I didn't believe I was going to win. I would never have gotten to where I am today without all my wonderful tennis coaches, my friends, and most importantly, my family."

There was a sparkle in the reporter's eye when he mentioned his family. "I see," she said, trying to remain professional. "From what I know, Echizen-kun, you've garnered quite a bit of media attention ever since you won your first tournament at the age of 7. Tell me, how did it feel to have so many people put their expectations on you?"

"Well, it wasn't easy, and at times, I felt frustrated, but mostly, it has helped motivate me to become the best tennis player I can be. I felt proud to shoulder the responsibility of being an Echizen, and I'm always determined to not disappoint all those who've placed their hopes in me."

The reporter just nodded in understanding, her mouth curved into a smile. "I see. So Echizen-kun, you've mentioned many a time that you have a role model, an idol, someone you want to one day surpass, and everyone, including myself, is curious as to who that role model is. Is it your father, the famous Echizen Ryoga? Or could it be your grandfather, the Samurai Nanjirou?"

Chuckling, the teen rolled his amber eyes heavenwards and said, "Actually, it's neither. I certainly do respect father, and grandfather has helped improve my tennis a lot, but the one that inspires me to do my best, the one that I one day want to surpass, is actually my namesake, Echizen Ryoma-san."

"Echizen Ryoma-san?" repeated the reporter quietly.

The boy nodded proudly. "I'm not sure how many people watching will have remembered him, but he was my father's younger brother who died of unknown causes at the age of twelve. But even though he was so young, he was already famous in the tennis world, and everyone called him the Prince of Tennis. Just about as long as I can remember, I've idolized him, and it's always been my goal to become a tennis player he can be proud of. I hope that with yesterday's win, I've come at least one step closer to realizing that goal…"

_**The End**_

* * *

><p>SkyGem: So, what did you all think? Was the ending okay? I particularly liked it. Unlike with the first two chapters, I tried to make this chapter a little more up-beat, and not so angsty. Did I succeed? Or did it turn out horrible? I want all your opinions, so please do leave a review and tell me what you thought, ne?<p>

And, even though this was a pretty short fic (according my standards), I'm deeply grateful to all of you who've stayed with this fic 'til the very end, and I hope to see you all again soon. Arigatou Goazaimasu.

*I'm not entirely sure if it makes sense to add an honorific at the end of oi (nephew). If it doesn't, do let me know, and I'll change it asap.


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